LigaSure Impact™ reduces complications after abdominoplasty in weight loss patients.

Purpose: Bariatric surgery is on the rise worldwide. With the desired weight loss after bariatric surgery, patients frequently develop massive skin flaps resulting in the need of abdominoplasty. In these patients, this surgical technique is frequently associated with perioperative complications.

Oral High-Dose Vitamin D Dissolved in Oil Raised Serum 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D to Physiological Levels in Obese Patients After Sleeve Gastrectomy-A Double-Blind, Randomized, and Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Osteomalacia and cardiometabolic disorders are favored in morbidly obese patients due to an inadequate vitamin D (VD) status. Former trials supplementing orally VD (20-50 μg/day) in crystalline form after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) could not stabilize serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol levels at predefined concentrations (≥50 nmol/l). We hypothesized that VD in an oily suspension would increase its bioavailability resulting in normal serum VD levels minimizing markers of cardiometabolic risk.

Double-J Versus External Ureteral Stents in Kidney Transplantation: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background: Kidney transplantation has long been recognized as the best available therapy for end stage kidney disease.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare outcomes of double-J versus percutaneous ureteral stent placement in renal transplantation.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on data of renal transplantations performed at our institution in a 12-month period.

Preoperative micronutrient status in morbidly obese patients before undergoing bariatric surgery: results of a cross-sectional study.

Background: Reliable information on micronutrient status before bariatric surgery is needed to optimize preoperative nutritional status and postoperative nutritional therapy.

Objective: To investigate the pro-/vitamin and mineral status and its association with nutrient intake in morbidly obese patients seeking bariatric surgery

Setting: Klinikum Vest, Recklinghausen, Germany.

Methods: The cross-sectional study investigated retinol, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and β-carotene (high-pressure liquid chromatography), 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), and calcium, phosphate, and magnesium (photometry) in serum/plasma in 43 patients (body mass index: 52.

[The obese patient in the intensive care unit--what is different?].

In many countries over the past years there has been a marked increase in the number of people with severe overweight - especially among the younger age groups up to 35 years. Accordingly, the number of intensive care patients suffering additionally from a significant obesity is also increasing continuously. Some particular features of these patients need to be observed.

Gastroduodeno-plasty performed by distal gastric transection.- A new technique for large duodenal defect closure.

Introduction: Duodenal ulcer lesions can represent a surgical challenge, especially if the duodenal wall is chronically inflamed, the defect exceeds a diameter of 3 cm and the ulceration is located in the second part of the duodenum.

Patient And Method: We present the case of a 70-year-old male, who suffered from a 3 x 4 cm duodenal defect caused by duodenal pressure necrosis due to a 12.5 x 5.

Endocytosis and recycling of tight junction proteins in inflammation.

A critical function of the epithelial lining is to form a barrier that separates luminal contents from the underlying interstitium. This barrier function is primarily regulated by the apical junctional complex (AJC) consisting of tight junctions (TJs) and adherens junctions (AJs) and is compromised under inflammatory conditions. In intestinal epithelial cells, proinflammatory cytokines, for example, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), induce internalization of TJ proteins by endocytosis.

Probiotic mixture VSL#3 protects the epithelial barrier by maintaining tight junction protein expression and preventing apoptosis in a murine model of colitis.

Changes in epithelial tight junction protein expression and apoptosis increase epithelial permeability in inflammatory bowel diseases. The effect of the probiotic mixture VSL#3 on the epithelial barrier was studied in dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Acute colitis was induced in BALB/c mice (3.

Tight junctions and cell-cell interactions.

Chronic inflammation in mucosal tissues can influence epithelial barrier function via pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Increased mucosal levels of these cytokines have been observed in mucosal biopsies from patients with a chronic inflammatory condition referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. Paracellular permeability across epithelial cells is regulated by tight junctions (TJs), which are the apical most junctions in epithelial cells.

Mechanism of IFN-gamma-induced endocytosis of tight junction proteins: myosin II-dependent vacuolarization of the apical plasma membrane.

Disruption of epithelial barrier by proinflammatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma represents a major pathophysiological consequence of intestinal inflammation. We have previously shown that IFN-gamma increases paracellular permeability in model T84 epithelial cells by inducing endocytosis of tight junction (TJ) proteins occludin, JAM-A, and claudin-1. The present study was designed to dissect mechanisms of IFN-gamma-induced endocytosis of epithelial TJ proteins.

Interferon-gamma induces internalization of epithelial tight junction proteins via a macropinocytosis-like process.

Increased epithelial permeability is observed in inflammatory states. However, the mechanism by which inflammatory mediators such as IFN-gamma increase epithelial permeability is unknown. We recently observed that IFN-gamma induces disassembly of tight junctions (TJ); in this study we asked whether such TJ disassembly is mediated by endocytosis of junctional proteins.

Differential roles for actin polymerization and a myosin II motor in assembly of the epithelial apical junctional complex.

Differentiation and polarization of epithelial cells depends on the formation of the apical junctional complex (AJC), which is composed of the tight junction (TJ) and the adherens junction (AJ). In this study, we investigated mechanisms of actin reorganization that drive the establishment of AJC. Using a calcium switch model, we observed that formation of the AJC in T84 intestinal epithelial cells began with the assembly of adherens-like junctions followed by the formation of TJs.

Association of BAP31 with CD11b/CD18. Potential role in intracellular trafficking of CD11b/CD18 in neutrophils.

The beta2 integrin CD11b/CD18 is an integral membrane protein that is present in the plasma membrane and secondary granules of neutrophils and functions as a major adhesion molecule. Upon cellular activation, there is translocation of intracellular pools of CD11b/CD18 to the plasma membrane in concert with enhanced cellular adhesion. Although much is known about the function of CD11b/CD18, how this protein is transported within the cell is less well defined.

Antigen transport and cytoskeletal characteristics of a distinct enterocyte population in inflammatory bowel diseases.

Intestinal antigen uptake is enhanced in inflammatory bowel disease. We analyzed transcellular transport routes of antigens in different compartments of normal enterocytes and atypical intestinal epithelial cells called "rapid antigen uptake into the cytosol enterocytes" (RACE cells). These cells constitute a recently described population of enterocyte-derived cells, which are increased in inflammatory bowel disease.

Preoperative steroid administration: effect on morbidity among patients undergoing intestinal bowel resection for Crohńs disease.

Long-term steroid therapy may predispose to increased perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing surgery with bowel anastomoses. The aim of our study was to review our data to determine if the steroid dosage is associated with the incidence of early complications after bowel resection in patients with prolonged steroid therapy for Crohńs disease (CD). Altogether, 397 patients underwent bowel resection with primary intestinal anastomoses for CD between 1982 and 2000 in our institution.